The Kansas high school track and field season begins with the Hutchinson Salthawks and Buhler Crusaders competing at the Newton Invitational Friday at Bethel College.
Other schools competing are Wichita Bishop Carroll, Newton, Salina Central and Wichita North.
The Nickerson Panthers and the Reno County Sabres compete at the Leon-Bluestem Invitational track meet on Tuesday.
Other schools competing at the Leon-Bluestem track meet are Leon-Bluestem, Centre, Elk Valley, Peabody-Burns, Rose Hill, Sunrise Christian Academy, The Independent School of Wichita, Wichita Angels Academy and Wichita Defenders Homeschool.
Nickerson, Russell, Hutchinson Trinity, Larned and Lyons compete at the Russell Invitational track meet on Friday, April 3. Other schools competing are Ellsworth, Hoisington, Hoxie, Norton and Phillipsburg.
Top returning state track qualifiers from the area (from Sports in Kansas):
• Class 5A boys — Great Bend junior Cooper Ohnmacht, triple jump, 47-1 1/4.
• Class 4A girls — Andale senior Addy Orth, javelin, 134 feet, 5 inches; Andale senior Rylee Meyer, 100-meter dash, 12.06 seconds.
• Class 4A boys — McPherson senior Caleb Mueller, javelin, 187-11.
• Class 3A girls — Hesston senior Ashley Lehman, 100-meter dash, 11.99; 200, 24.63; 400, 54.65; pole vault, 12-4.
• Class 2A girls — Ellinwood sophomore Reagan Wirtz, 100, 12.24; 200, 24.98; long jump, 18-1.
• Class 2A girls — Sterling senior Julia Kilgore, 400, 56.4.
• Class 1A girls — Jessa Losew, Hutchinson Central Christian, high jump, 5-8.
